Our strategy

Our strategy is to increase the profitability of our existing business while growing the Group to deliver sustainable shareholder value.

Our Companies

Go-Ahead’s rail operation is the busiest in the UK, responsible for around 30% of all train passenger journeys. We are also the largest operator of bus services in London, running around a quarter of London's buses. Outside of London, our regional bus services account for around 11% of the UK market. We also run bus services in Singapore.

Graduates

If you are a hard working, intelligent and ambitious student or graduate looking for a challenging graduate programme starting in September 2019 then you are in the right place. Designed to quickly accelerate your development and career to a specific senior management role, the Go-Ahead graduate programme will give you responsibility for people, customers, reputation, safety, revenue and assets.

Within two years we expect you to be accelerated into key management roles; highly qualified/certified, on track to be earning £35,000 to £40,000pa, managing hundreds of people and millions of pounds of budget and assets. If that is the kind of opportunity you are looking for, and you are ready to roll your sleeves up and work hard for it, then you are exactly the kind of person we are looking for.

Our bus graduate programme is 18 to 24 months long, with a starting salary of £25,000pa. It is designed to fully prepare you for an Assistant Operations Manager (AOM) role, or equivalent. A new AOM typically earns around £35,000pa and has responsibility for safely managing hundreds of employees, thousands of customer journeys and many millions of pounds.

Your development programme with Go-Ahead is all about giving you the intensive training, qualifications, experience and management insight to be able to take on this business critical role.

What will I be doing?

The bus graduate programme consists of three job rotations over the 18 to 24 months:

Phase one

Starting with six intensive months in core operations, you will learn about our bus business operations from the bottom up. You will learn how to drive a bus; shadowing and participating in projects, working in operational aspects such as scheduling, customer service or basic engineering. All of this happens in your chosen/allocated location.

Phase two

Next, you will spend three months doing a variety of secondments in locations around the UK. Each secondment will be three to four weeks long and is designed to introduce you to the diversity of business environments at Go-Ahead, including: regulated and non-regulated contracts, different depots, and of course Head Office. During this time, you will need to be able to travel and stay away from home for extended periods.

Phase three

Finally, you will spend 12 to 15 months back in your chosen/allocated location, training and preparing to become an Assistant Operations Manager (AOM). You will work in supervisory roles taking on significant and increasing responsibility for the operations of a depot. At the same time, you will be completing your Operators Licence Certificate of Professional Competence, which is key to operating in this highly regulated environment, and ultimately taking up a position as an AOM at the end of the programme.

What support and development will I receive?

This is an intensive programme and you will learn both on and off the job. Critically, you will be driving most of your personal development. The responsibility for your own development starts before the programme with access to hundreds of online learning modules. We will let you know what you need to complete before you start, but if you’re keen to get going and accelerate your development from day one, you can access our Learning Hub sooner.

An interactive and experiential induction including everything from Institute of Occupational Health and Safety training to lean management, personal effectiveness and time with our CEO and other senior leaders

On the job courses, training and qualifications to complete within your first six months, which are all arranged locally to ensure that you can operate safely and legally

After your first three months you will begin a Diploma in Management and Leadership: an externally accredited, assessed and moderated qualification taking 12 to 18 months

After year one, you start management development training with the other graduates, including a mock employment tribunal to understand your role and legal obligations as a leader

Your final year is full of technical training to prepare you for your AOM role, not least of which is completing your Operators Licence Certificate of Professional Competence

Throughout your programme you will have regular reviews, feedback and coaching to support your ongoing development

At the end of the programme you will undertake your final management development training with the other graduates, including a presentation and dinner to celebrate your completion of the programme.

How do I apply and what are you looking for?

The application process starts with completing the form below. But just before you click, have a look at the following information as it will improve your chances of success. As a minimum, you must meet these criteria:

Have a minimum of a 2:2 Hons in any degree subject

Possess a full driving licence on your first day of work

Be willing and able to be based in London, Oxford, Brighton, Norwich, Poole, Newcastle or Dublin. There will be an opportunity to select your preferred locations as part of the application form

Be willing and able to travel and stay away from home during the secondment period of your training

Have an unrestricted right to work in the UK on a permanent basis

If you can say yes to each of these criteria, then we start to look for more nuanced personal qualities to identify the type of people we know make great leaders at Go-Ahead. The qualities are linked to the Go-Ahead behaviours and specifically in the application process we are looking for you to demonstrate evidence of your ability to be an: Action Enabler, Confidence Inspirer, Effective Communicator, Information Seeker and Ideas Generator.

We assess your ability to be able to do these things through a four-stage recruitment process

An application form, which you need to complete between 9 October 2018 and 6 January 2019

A video interview, taking place between 1 November 2018 and 20 January 2019

An assessment centre taking place during February 2019; we will let you know the dates as soon as possible

A final interview with senior management in March 2019

Here are some top tips for achieving success in our graduate recruitment process:

Do your research before you apply and make sure it extends beyond this website: Travel on our buses, speak to our people, follow us on social media, learn about our market and competitors — make your application stand out

Come and meet us or chat to us if we are at an event at your campus

Get advice and support from your careers service. They can review your application form, help you with mock video interviews and assessment centres.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be yourself. We are interested to find out about the unique combination of experiences, challenges and successes that make you who you are and why you feel you fit with what we are looking for.

Our rail graduate programme is two years long, with a starting salary of £25,000pa plus a £3,000 relocation package. It is designed to fully prepare you for a role as a Station Manager, Train Crew Manager or equivalent, typically earning £35,000 to £40,000pa by the end of the programme.

As a Station Manager or equivalent, you will typically be responsible for managing hundreds of employees, thousands of customer journeys and many millions of pounds of budget and assets.

Your development programme with Go-Ahead is all about giving you the intensive training, qualifications, experience and management insight to be able to take on this business critical role.

Applications for the 2019 graduate scheme are now open.

What will I be doing?

The rail graduate programme consists of three job rotations over 24 months, moving between different locations around our train networks:

Phase one

Your first rotation is eight months in a station management environment. But before you can get on to the station you will spend an intensive two months undertaking all of the critical, certified, regulatory training to ensure that you can operate effectively and safely. This is followed by six months at the station, involving everything from dispatch (safe train departure) to ticketing, passenger services, disabled passenger services, managing incidents, staff rostering, gateline (where passengers put their tickets through the gates), catering and customer care.

Phase two

Next, you will spend six months developing your knowledge of operational essentials: train planning, operational resourcing, performance control including faults and safety and behavioural standards. Again, this rotation starts with five weeks of intensive training before you get the chance to work on a project for the next four months. As part of this rotation you will scope and make a business case for the project that you then spend four months working on.

Phase three

Finally, you will spend the last eight months as an on board supervisor. As with all aspects of the rail industry you will spend the first two months undertaking extensive training before undertaking six months on the trains. As an on board supervisor you will be responsible for everything from conductors to catering, safety, managing complaints, revenue protection, incidents, damage, safety, working with the transport police, disembarking, customer care, mystery shopping and full on board assessments. Just remember, trains run at all hours of the day, every day of the week, so in this period you will find yourself getting up at 3am to manage the early trains, finishing at midnight on the late trains or working weekends. All of which is excellent preparation for taking up a position as a Train Crew Manager, Station Manager or equivalent role at the end of the programme.

Due to the nature of the work you will need to undertake a medical examination, which will be conditional to a job offer.

What support and development will I receive?

This is an intensive programme and you will learn a lot both on and off the job. Critically you will be driving most of your personal development. The responsibility for your own development starts before the programme with access to hundreds of online learning modules. We will let you know what you need to complete before you start, but if you’re keen to get going and accelerate your development from day one, you can access our Learning Hub sooner.

An interactive and experiential induction including everything from Institute of Occupational Health and Safety training to lean management, personal effectiveness and time with our CEO and other senior leaders

On the job courses, training and certifications to complete across the two years to ensure that you can operate safely and legally in this safety critical, highly regulated environment

After your first three months you will begin a Diploma in Management and Leadership: an externally accredited, assessed and moderated qualification that taking 12 to 18 months

After year one you start management development training with the other graduates, including a mock employment tribunal to understand your role and legal obligations as a leader and manager

Throughout the programme you will have regular reviews, feedback and coaching to support your ongoing development

At the end of the programme you will undertake your final management development training with the other graduates, including a presentation and dinner to celebrate your completion of the programme.

How do I apply and what are you looking for?

The application process starts with completing the form below. But just before you click, have a look at the following information as it will improve your chances of success. As a minimum, you must meet these criteria:

Have a minimum of a 2:2 Hons in any degree subject

Be willing and able to travel and relocate around the UK as required during the programme

Have an unrestricted right to work in the UK on a permanent basis

If you can say yes to each of these criteria, then we start to look for more nuanced personal qualities to identify the type of people we know make great leaders at Go-Ahead. The qualities are linked to the Go-Ahead behaviours and specifically in the application process we are looking for you to demonstrate evidence of your ability to be an: Action Enabler, Confidence Inspirer, Effective Communicator, Information Seeker and Ideas Generator.

We assess your ability to be able to do these things through a four-stage recruitment process

An application form, which you need to complete between 9 October 2018 and 6 January 2019

A video interview, taking place between 1 November 2018 and 20 January 2019

An assessment centre taking place during February 2019; we will let you know the dates as soon as possible

A final interview with senior management in March 2019

Here are some top tips for being successful in our graduate recruitment process:

Do your research before you apply and make sure it extends beyond this website: Travel on our trains, visit our stations, speak to our people, follow us on social media, learn about our market and competitors — make your application stand out

Come and meet us or chat to us if we are at an event at your campus

Get advice and support from your careers service. They can review your application form, help you with mock video interviews and assessment centres.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be yourself. We are interested to find out about the unique combination of experiences, challenges and successes that make you who you are and why you feel you fit with what we are looking for.

We are looking for two Mechanical, Electrical or Electronic Engineering graduates to join the business. Our engineering graduate programme is two years long, with a starting salary of £25,000pa. It is designed to fully prepare you to become a key part of the engineering management function, and is IMechE accredited, suited to graduates aspiring to gain Incorporated or Chartered status. We expect you to become an Engineering Manager or Supervisor earning in the region of £35,000 to £40,000 by the end of the programme. You will typically be responsible for supervising critical engineering works, people management, and many millions of pounds of budget and assets.

Your development programme with Go-Ahead is all about giving you the intensive training, qualifications, experience and management insight to be able to take on this business and safety critical role.

Applications for the 2019 graduate scheme are now open.

What will I be doing?

The engineering graduate programme consists of four job rotations over two years:

Phase one/two

Your first year is full of intensive technical, regulatory and compliance training with accredited certificates, manufacturers courses, shadowing senior leaders, Group departments and extensive in-house training. In between this you will undertake two, six-month long, supervisory and management placements designed to give you hands-on maintenance experience and to develop and apply technical and analytical skills. Towards the end of the rotation, you begin to develop your people management experience. One placement is in London and one will be outside of London.

Phase three/four

Your second year will also be made up of two six-month placements. The main focus is to gain maximum exposure to the Engineering Supervisor/Manager role and to take on all of the responsibilities involved. Your role will not only include engineering management and supervision, but critically, people management, quality, compliance, work planning, budgetary and cost control, vehicle inspections, managing contractors and risk assessments. This is a significant step up in responsibility and prepares you to secure a management role at the end of the programme.

Across the two year programme you won’t just be working 9am to 5pm, you will do the night shift, find yourself getting up at 3am to manage early shifts or, finishing at midnight on the late shift. All of which is excellent preparation for the 24-7 reality of engineering within the Transport sector.

What support and development will I receive?

This is an intensive programme and you will learn a lot both on and off the job. Critically you will be driving most of your personal development. The responsibility for your own development starts before the programme with access to hundreds of online learning modules. We will let you know what you need to complete before you start, but if you’re keen to get going and accelerate your development from day one, you can access our Learning Hub sooner.

An interactive and experiential induction, including everything from Institute of Occupational Health and Safety training to lean management, personal effectiveness and time with our CEO and other senior leaders

On the job courses, training, certifications and qualifications arranged locally to ensure you can operate safely and legally. Covering everything from audit and quality to vehicle maintenance, testing and technical skills

After your first six month placement you will complete the Engineering Managers course to prepare you for supervisory and management responsibility

Participation in the Group Engineering Forum consisting of four, one day meetings every year

Management courses including Chartered Institute of Management Accountant accredited financial/budgetary training at the London School of Business and Finance, the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health course and examination, Certificate of Professional Competence in national passenger transport and much more

A programme of visits and shadowing with key Group departments such as marketing, environmental management, traffic, operations, properties and service and senior managers

Throughout your programme you will have regular reviews, feedback and coaching to support your ongoing development

At the end of the programme you’ll undertake your final management development training with the other graduates, including a presentation and dinner to celebrate your completion of the programme.

How do I apply and what are you looking for?

The application process starts with completing the form below. But just before you click, have a look at following information as it will improve your chances of success.

As a minimum, you must meet these criteria:

Have a minimum of a 2:2 Hons in Mechanical, Electrical or Electronic Engineering

Possess a full driving licence on your first day of work

Be willing and able to be based out of London, with travel and placements at other locations

Have an unrestricted right to work in the UK on a permanent basis

If you can say yes to each of these criteria, then we start to look for more nuanced personal qualities to identify the type of people we know make great leaders at Go-Ahead. The qualities are linked to the Go-Ahead behaviours and specifically in the application process we are looking for you to demonstrate evidence of your ability to be an: Action Enabler, Confidence Inspirer, Effective Communicator, Information Seeker and Ideas Generator.

We assess your ability to be able to do these things through a three-stage recruitment process:

An application form, which you need to complete between 9 October 2018 and 6 January 2019

A video interview, taking place between 1 November 2018 and 20 January 2019

An assessment centre taking place during February 2019; we will let you know the dates as soon as possible

A final interview with senior management in March 2019

Here are some top tips for being successful in our graduate recruitment process:

Do your research before you apply and make sure it extends beyond this website: Travel on our trains, visit our stations, speak to our people, follow us on social media, learn about our market and competitors — make your application stand out

Come and meet us or chat to us if we are at an event at your campus

Get advice and support from your careers service. They can review your application form, help you with mock video interviews and assessment centres.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be yourself. We are interested to find out about the unique combination of experiences, challenges and successes that make you who you are and why you feel you fit with what we are looking for.